The Child and The Ogre
by love2be4gotten
Summary: Based off of Carpenter and "Oniroku. The two villages needed a bridge, and without it, war was sure to come. The responsibility fell onto the shoulders of a mere child, but at what price?


**Hey guys, so sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. A lot of things have been happening lately, and it has been so hectic. **

**I haven't stopped writing, and I'm working on my unfinished stories, but there has been so much crap happening.**

**If any of you have Instagram, please check out my photos and stuff. It's not amazing, but I like to draw random stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I didn't write this, I just modified it. This is a Japanese fairytale, the title is originally 'Carpenter and "Oniroku.".**

Long ago, there was a broad river flowing through two villages, the leaf and the Sound village. On both sides of the river, people thought it would be suitable if there were a bridge across the river. Though they had been at war for many years, they decided to put aside their differences and build a sufficient bridge.

Immediately after it was built, people began visiting each other's places easily going and coming across the bridge. How ecstatic they were! The ill-feelings between them immediately dissipated, and soon they began to share both crops and supplies. But not all was well and good. The river was infamous for its precipitous current after dense rain.

The rainy season came as usual that year. As they had worried, the rapid current carried the precious bridge away. The villagers could see only some of the bridge piles and girders left in the water. They were very disappointed and decided to build a stronger bridge, which could stand up to the brisk water. But although they worked hard, the second bridge wasn't strong enough, either. One day they had a meeting to discuss rebuilding the third bridge.

"We need a bridge that can uphold against strong currents," one said.

"But who could build an ideal one?" another asked. They brainstormed, wondering who might possibly have the skills, and for days no one could find someone suitable enough for the job.

Having no other idea, they put up a reward for anyone who could build a standing bridge, and gain the respect of the villagers.

Soon, men and women alike came from all over from different villages, but one after another, each failed. It seemed to the two villages that no one would be able to do the job, and agitation soon rose, and another war was foreseen.

A orphaned child who lived in the Leaf village feared the possibility of war, having lost both his parents. Determined to find some sort of solution, he went to the river immediately to examine the current he'd heard about.

It was just as fierce as everyone had said it was. He'd never seen such a dangerous river in all his life.

'What a wide river and a rapid current. It'll be a difficult job to build a bridge over this river," he thought sadly.

As he was watching the swirling water, an ogre appeared on the surface of the bubbling water and said, "Child, what has you sad?"

"Ogre, I fear for the lives of my villagers. They want a bridge built across this river, but because no one can do it, a war is sure to break out," he answered.

"Is that so? Hmm. Even if you were the best skilled carpenter in all the land, I don't think you could build such a bridge here. But I can do it. If you give me both your eyes, I'll do it for you."

Thinking even an ogre would fail at such a task, the child agreed immediately "Ok. If you can build a strong bridge in a day, I'll give you my eyes."

The next morning the boy rushed to the river. Shocked, he found a magnificent bridge over the river. As he gazed at the bridge by the river, the ogre showed up once again on the surface of the water.

It cried. "You see, I built the strong bridge in only a day. You haven't forgotten your promise, have you? Now it's your turn to fulfill your end of the deal. Give me your eyes."

Frightened, the child shook and begged the ogre not to take his eyes, "I promised to give you my eyes, but, but- if I gave you both of my eyes, I couldn't see anything. I couldn't do any work, and would be unable to support myself. Would you forgive my words? Please, please forget taking my eyes."

"A deal is a deal!" He rumbled, but as an afterthought, added, "though losing both your eyes would cause you a lot of trouble. OK, I'll forgive you but with one condition. Guess my name. If you can guess the right name, you won't lose your eyes."

Eagerly, the child asked the ogre to wait until tomorrow. After awhile of thinking it over, he said "all right. But if you can't come here tomorrow, I'll eat you," the ogre said with a toothy grin on his face.

Scared, the child ran away into a forest, racking his brain for a solution to the new but much more complicated problem. "If I can't guess its name, it will eat me. What should I do?" he thought and thought, but no good idea came to mind. Just then, he heard voices.

_~We like human's eyes. We wait for Orochimaru. Coming back with human's eyes.~_

Curious, he peeked between trees. Some children were playing and singing over in the middle of trees. But oh, the have horns on their heads! 'They must be ogres' children!' He thought. 'Orochimaru- Hmm, it must be the ogre's name…' Giddy at this information, the boy jumped with bliss, and hurried back to his home.

The next day, when he was on the bridge and looked down at the river, the ogre came out of the water. "Child, are you ready to give me your eyes?" it roared.

"I am not. As I said before, I can't do anything with out my eyes." He said bravely to the ogre.

"Then guess my name. It won't be easy for you. If you can guess my name, I won't take your eyes. But if you can't, I'll eat you and steal your eyes."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute, I'll try." The boy said, pretending to think about its name. "Your name must be Hideaki"

"Nope. Your answer is wrong," it laughed loudly.

"Then your name should be Junichi " the boy said to the ogre in a little voice, pretending he didn't have much confidence.

"No, no. You're way off." The ogre laughed again.

"Then your name is - Osamu."

"No, it's not that either. I don't think you can guess the right name." But this time, the ogre's face turned a little bit pale.

"Then your name is- Oniichi"

"Wrong again. Now it's time you gave up, give me your eyes child!" It cried, shooting out its hairy arm towards him.

"Wait, I know your name! Orochimaru! Your name is Orochimaru!" the child cried as loudly as he could. The moment he screamed out the name, the ogre disappeared into the water blowing bubbles out of its mouth.

The child let out shaky breaths, shaken from his encounter. Once he regained his senses, a smile broke out on his face. He had done it. He had survived. Not only had he managed to keep his eyes, but the bridge had been built as well. Raising from the ground, he rushed home to spread the news of the bridge.

And that was the last time he saw that ogre. The bridge the ogre built never broke or flowed away no matter how rapidly the river flew, and the two villages lived in peace forever after.

**End. I actually wanted to delete this immediately after I was finished haha. I greatly disliked it, and still do. Like I said before, I didn't make this up. I just changed around some events, and made new sentences, but it's still not mine, so don't flame or sue.**

**Sorry that I didn't give the child a name. It was going to be Naruto, but I decided to just call him child and boy haha. Well, until next time. Ja Ne!**


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